1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to loading directory information for a voice dialing system.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional network-based speed dial systems such as AT&T voice line, Sprint voice phonecard or NYNEX voice dialing provide subscribers the ability to establish telephone directories in the speed dial system. To establish a telephone directory of parties to be called, a subscriber speaks a "name," usually three times. The repetition is needed to "train" the speed dial system to recognize the speaker's pronunciation of specific language sounds. Each name corresponds to a party and this name is associated with the telephone number of the party. The telephone number is entered through the telephone station keypad. Multiple names and telephone numbers may be entered in the above manner, thus generating a telephone directory.
At a later time, the subscriber may call one of the parties in the telephone directory by calling the speed dial system and speaking the name corresponding to the party to be called. The speed dial system dials the telephone number associated with the name and connects the subscriber to the called party. Thus, the subscriber is relieved from carrying a personal telephone directory and the inconvenience of locating a specific entry of the telephone directory.
While speed dial systems provide the above-described services, the process required to set-up the telephone directory in the speed dial system is inconvenient. Subscribers may only enter telephone numbers through a telephone station, and training the speed dial system is cumbersome. Thus, technological improvements are needed to provide better devices and more efficient methods for creating and maintaining telephone directories in network-based speed dial systems.